1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to laser shock peening and, more particularly, to methods and articles of manufacture employing varying surface fluence of a laser beam during laser shock peening.
2. Description of Related Art
Laser shock peening or laser shock processing, as it is also referred to, is a process for producing a region of deep compressive residual stresses imparted by laser shock peening a surface area of an article. Laser shock peening typically uses one or more radiation pulses from high energy, about 50 joules or more, pulsed laser beams to produce an intense shockwave at the surface of an article similar to methods disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,850,698 entitled “Altering Material Properties”; U.S. Pat. No. 4,401,477 entitled “Laser Shock Processing”; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,131,957 entitled “Material Properties”. The use of low energy laser beams is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,932,120, entitled “Laser Shock Peening Using Low Energy Laser”, which issued Aug. 3, 1999 and is assigned to the present Assignee of this patent. Laser shock peening, as understood in the art and as used herein, means utilizing a pulsed laser beam from a laser beam source to produce a strong localized compressive force on a portion of a surface by producing an explosive force at the impingement point of the laser beam by an instantaneous ablation or vaporization of a thin layer of that surface or of a coating (such as tape or paint) on that surface which forms a plasma.
Laser shock peening is being developed for many applications in the gas turbine engine field, some of which are disclosed in the following U.S. Pat. No.: 5,756,965 entitled “On The Fly Laser Shock Peening”; U.S. Pat. No. 5,591,009 entitled “Laser Shock Peened Gas Turbine Engine Fan Blade Edges”; U.S. Pat. No. 5,531,570 entitled “Distortion Control For Laser Shock Peened Gas Turbine Engine Compressor Blade Edges”; U.S. Pat. No. 5,492,447 entitled “Laser Shock Peened Rotor Components For Turbomachinery”; U.S. Pat. No. 5,674,329 entitled “Adhesive Tape Covered Laser Shock Peening”; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,674,328 entitled “Dry Tape Covered Laser Shock Peening”, all of which are assigned to the present Assignee.
Laser shock peening has been utilized to create a compressively stressed protective layer at the outer surface of an article which is known to considerably increase the resistance of the article to fatigue failure as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,937,421 entitled “Laser Peening System and Method”. These methods typically employ a curtain of water flowed over the article or some other method to provide a plasma confining medium. This medium enables the plasma to rapidly achieve shockwave pressures that produce the plastic deformation and associated residual stress patterns that constitute the LSP effect. The curtain of water provides a confining medium, to confine and redirect the process generated shockwaves into the bulk of the material of a component being LSP'd, to create the beneficial compressive residual stresses.
The pressure pulse from the rapidly expanding plasma imparts a traveling shockwave into the component. This compressive shockwave initiated by the laser pulse results in deep plastic compressive strains in the component. These plastic strains produce residual stresses consistent with the dynamic modules of the material. The many useful benefits of laser shock peened residual compressive stresses in engineered components have been well documented and patented, including the improvement on fatigue capability.
The laser shock process (LSP) imparts deep compressive stresses in the article by generating a pressure pulse that travels into the component. The pressure pulse can be reflected from internal structures as tensile waves. Opposing waves and single waves can have sufficient energy in this reflected wave to rupture the component internally. The resulting crack or rupture is referred to or termed “delamination”. One method proposed in the past to avoid or minimize delaminations is offsetting two opposing laser beams/waves laterally through the component. See U.S. Pat. No. 6,570,126 entitled “Simultaneous Offset Dual Sided Laser Shock Peening Using Low Energy Laser Beams” and U.S. Pat. No. 6,570,125 entitled “Simultaneous Offset Dual Sided Laser Shock Peening With Oblique Angle Laser Beams”. Alternatively, striking the component or part from one side at a time has been suggested.
Both of these methods seem to reduce compressive LSP effect but appear limited in their ability to efficiently process small, thin components or articles such as gas turbine engine airfoils. This applies to stator vane and rotor blade airfoils for fans, compressors and turbines in the engine. The fact that a delamination can occur and is hidden within the component, requires 100% inspection of each part or article that is laser shock peened using techniques such as full immersion ultrasonic inspection which can greatly add to the cost of the component over an above the cost of the LSP process.
It is desirable to reduce the level or eliminate delamination due to laser shock peening particularly in thin part sections.